Both Sides Present Case In DeWild Murder Trial

GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4)– Opening statements in the trial for a man accused of murdering his estranged wife nearly a decade ago were presented on Wednesday.

Daniel Donald DeWild is being tried for first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Heather Jean DeWild. Her decomposed body was found buried along U.S. Highway 6 on Sept. 4, 2003. Her body wrapped in trash bags and duct tape.

Daniel DeWild’s identical twin, David Norman DeWild, has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and will likely be sentenced after his brother’s trial.

Wednesday morning, prosecutors talked about motive. They say the DeWilds were in the middle of a divorce and when Daniel DeWild found out that he was going to have to pay more in child support than he could afford with all of his bills, he became angry and upset.

The DeWilds were about one week away from finalizing their divorce.

Heather DeWild (credit: CBS)

In opening statements of the Daniel DeWild trial, prosecutors painted a detailed picture of what they say happened to his estranged wife, Heather.

They say Daniel and his twin brother, David, planned the murder together and on July 24, 2003, lured her into the garage of his Edgewater home.

Court documents also state Heather was lured to Daniel’s home with her two children, then ages three and five, under false pretenses.

It was there that prosecutors say Daniel used a rubber mallet to hit Heather in the head. They say he put a noose around her neck, hung her, tied her hands and covered her body in tape, then wrapped her in plastic trash bags.

Prosecutors told the jury that Daniel’s brother David was responsible for getting rid of Heather’s body which he dumped near some large dirt mounds off Highway 6 near Golden.

The defense argues that David came forward with this wealth of information this past summer, claiming he wanted to bring closure to the case and the family.

The defense said David is scared that he will spend the rest of his life in prison, so he has lied and tried to place as much of the blame as possible on his brother, Daniel.

Mary Roseanne DeWild had faced charges of being an accessory to murder and conspiracy to accessory to commit murder but the Jefferson County district attorney’s office said last month those charges were dismissed.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated incorrectly that Rosanne DeWild was found guilty in the case.